Author: Paul Eide (Page 25 of 36)

Atmosphere and Queens of the Stone Age at Stir Concert Cove

August 11, 2013 / Paul Eide

“Is this going to be like seeing The Four Tops or The Drifters at the county fair, with only one remaining member, but technically still the Four Tops or The Drifters?”

It was Sunday night and I was less than an hour from seeing Queens of the Stone Age. And I was nervous inside. Prior to the concert, I engaged my friend and musical mentor on a phone call, the man who got me into Queens in the first place. Thanks to several lineup changes since their creation, I told him I wasn’t as excited as I should’ve been to see them for the first time.

He laughed and said, “It’s still Queens, dude.”

And by god, was he right. It is still Queens, dude.

If I discovered a magical lamp with a hot genie (built like Barbara Eden) who asked what two acts I’d like to see on successive days that I’d never seen before yet loved for years, in perfect 70 degree weather, less than 10 miles from my home round trip, I would pick Atmosphere and Queens of the Stone Age on reflex alone, without even thinking, like a musical version of Pavlov’s Dog.

I spent Saturday night at the Kicking Up Dust Tour with Slightly Stoopid, Atmosphere and The Grouch and Eligh.

I wrapped up my weekend on Sunday night with Queens of the Stone Age and British newcomers Leo Gun. And I didn’t even need a magical lamp. Or a feeder bar.

The venue, Stir Concert Cove, is a great place to see a show; it is the ultimate intimate experience. Security is chill without being lax, allowing fans to unwind without anarchy ruling.

It may sound ridiculous to talk about acoustics for an outside venue, but the bowl shape of the enclosure wraps neatly around the stage and offers different experiences in sound, whether right in front of the stage or around the outer rim. The way it’s laid out lends itself to artist/fan interaction.

Entertainment, Music, On Location

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Product Review: Braun CoolTec Dry Shaver

August 5, 2013 / Paul Eide

Electric razors always bring to mind the image of a man in a cheap suit with a poorly tied, generic red necktie shaving in the front seat of his tiny import as he hurriedly makes his way to his job at Megatron Widget, Inc.

It’s sweaty, tight, confined and irritated, and there is nothing he can do about it. The pit stains on his off-white polyester dress shirt prove that to resist is useless.

But this isn’t an electric razor — this is the CoolTec dry shaver from Braun.

The other day, I received an oaken box that looked like a stylized ice cube with the classic Braun logo on the front. The box was sealed with a combination lock, and beneath that was a cryptically cool message that said, “Cool me down in your fridge to reveal your secret combination.”

I put the box in the fridge overnight, and when I woke up the next morning, the first thing that came to mind was the unknown contents of the Mystery Box. The three digit code revealed itself, so I popped open the box and was suddenly exposed to the new Braun CoolTec dry shaver.

So how does CoolTec work? Instead of applying gels or moisture during or after your shave, CoolTec addresses the issue by cooling the skin throughout the process of shaving. How does Braun accomplish this? By employing Thermo-Electric Cooling technology, or “TEC” for short.

Skin irritation comes from cutting parts moving inside the shaver, as well as the shaver’s interaction with the skin. The skin can penetrate through the small holes of the shaving foil, forcing it to come into contact with the shaver’s cutter. OUCH! I know it hurts from experience, but reading the science behind it somehow makes it hurt more.

CoolTec has an aluminum cooling bar integrated into the shaving head. With the press of the CoolTec button (complete with “snowflake” icon), the aluminum cooling bar gets super cold in a hurry and cools the skin while you use the shaver.

For comparison sake, the cooling bar felt just like the cold piece of aluminum a cut man uses between rounds in boxing or MMA, called an “end-swell.” The cooling bar works in a similar fashion, calming the skin and dissipating pressure built up by the shaving head.

The shave was so smooth that I couldn’t believe it wasn’t from a razor. I kept asking the girls in my office to rub my face to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Two out of three obliged, and they remarked how soft my skin was. Then they asked about my “other hair” and if I was “that smooth everywhere.” I work with some really cool girls.

The CoolTec has a great weight to it. It’s heavy enough to feel solid, but doesn’t feel cumbersome or impede the shave. Its ergonomic shape also makes the CoolTec easy to navigate, complete with tapered handle and thick shaving head, and the rubber grip accents are a nice touch.

A lot of thought clearly went into the function and design of the CoolTec, and even if you’re a shaving novice, you can feel the difference. So ditch your crappy import and upgrade to the BMW of dry shavers, because the CoolTec from Braun is the “coolest” dry shaver on the market.

Come on, you didn’t think you were going to get out of here without at least one of those, did you?

For product descriptions, videos and more, visit the Braun CoolTec website here.

Gear, Grooming, Lifestyle, Stuff to Buy

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Clear Men Scalp Therapy Interview with NFL All-Pro Tony Gonzalez

July 29, 2013 / Paul Eide

Tony Gonzalez is an NFL icon. A lock for the Hall of Fame when he retires, Gonzalez has the most receiving yards (14,268) and touchdowns (107) for a tight end in NFL history, and the second most receptions (1,242) all-time, trailing only 49ers legend Jerry Rice.

Recently, I spoke with the 17-year veteran about his partnership with Clear Men Scalp Therapy, “Marty Ball” and the evolution of the NFL. You can check out a transcription of the interview below, or just watch the embedded video of our discussion after the break.

Bullz-Eye: So Tony, what’s going on with you and Clear Men Scalp Therapy?

Tony Gonzalez: I teamed up with Clear Men Scalp Therapy because as you strive to be the perfect man, it starts with first impressions. And as a football player wearing a helmet all the time, we deal with flakes. They have flake free, dandruff free shampoo that really doesn’t dry your hair out and I love it. It smells great and I’m glad to be a part of it.

Bull-Eye: Speaking of flakes, how has the integration of social media in today’s world changed the way you interact with fans?

Tony Gonzalez: It’s a game changer; everyone has a voice. Let alone just athletes, anyone “famous” or whatever you want to call, everyone gets to voice their opinion. My 12-year-old son has a Facebook and Instagram and he’s like, ‘Dad why don’t you respond to me so I can get more friends?’ and all this stuff. As the professional athlete, it’s a blessing and a huge tool to reach whatever audience you want to reach. On the flip side of that, it’s a dangerous tool, if it’s used improperly and you see athletes putting stuff out there all the time. Once you push send, it’s on there forever; for the rest of your life and even when you leave the earth, people are still able to check out what you thought about a certain subject and it can be dangerous.”

Grooming, Interviews, Lifestyle, Sports

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Three Days in LA: A 2013 ESPY Awards adventure

July 22, 2013 / Paul Eide

I knew it was going to be an interesting trip to Los Angeles when I met actor Colin Farrell at LAX baggage claim upon arrival. Minutes later, I bumped my shoulder into Olympic legend Michael Phelps’ tightly toned torso while wildly retrieving my luggage from the baggage carousel.

Here is the actual transcript of our meeting:

“Whoa. Hi Michael, excuse me. That bag kinda got away from me there for a second.”

“No problem, how are you?”

“I am good, nice to see you.”

Turning my attention, and body, towards the exit, I again saw Farrell, this time attempting to lay low in the shadows as people began to recognize him as “that one guy from ‘SWAT.’”

Suddenly, five punky paparazzo exploded off the elevator and surged towards the helpless Farrell, who was now pacing back and forth, alone, waiting for his luggage, while having a conversation on his cell phone that was going nowhere. He was adamant about needing a ride immediately, but his urgency was neither acknowledged nor reciprocated.

A pair of 50-something (but don’t tell them that) Latinas spotted him, exclaiming with glee to everyone within earshot that Farrell was, in fact, “right by them.”

The ladies bum rushed him and made their jerky husband take several pictures while they posed, Farrell maintaining a state of disinterest throughout the experience. 30 people stood around and watched, mouths agape.

Metaphorically, Farrell was naked in front of his high school assembly, with no publicist or agent in sight to deflect or protect, and the verbal potshots began to pile up.

Interviews, On Location, Sports, Travel

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Book Review: The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving Face

July 8, 2013 / Paul Eide

Our introduction to Dr. Allan Peterkin happened a few months ago when we were lucky enough to interview the physician, author and professor and ask him several semi-serious questions about being a man with facial hair; the pitfalls, the perks, the women… ahhhh, the women.

“The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving Face” piqued my interest in being a man again. Since the divorce, the flame had certainly flickered. I got my hands on a copy and the book is fantastic. It is the de facto quick reference guide on personal style in relation to facial hair ever created, and I am including “The Bible” in that generalization as well.

Dr. Allan Peterkin and Nick (side) Burns toe the line between tongue and cheek humor and historical analysis beautifully. You didn’t know a beard could be “historically analyzed,” did you? Read on, young brother.

The book is an easy read, weighing in at 142 pages comprised of five chapters. But so much ground is covered effortlessly that it could easily be 500 pages. In terms of usefulness, it could be 700 hundred pages. In terms of making you a better “beardsman,” it could be 1,000,000 pages; imagine the size of that book.

“The Bearded Gentleman” opens by addressing the age old question about beard growth in chapter one, “Should I Shave or Should I Grow?” It also attacks myths associated with beards and shaving head-on, leaving the reader with an authoritative answer on things we want to know, but forgot we wanted to know them.

Then, if we were to remember that we wanted to know them, we’d most certainly forget when being in the physical presence of a man with that breadth of knowledge, a man like Dr. Peterkin.

For instance, the number one myth about facial hair and styling is that shaving more actually makes hair grow faster or thicker. In fact, it does not have either effect owing to the fact that, “Facial hair is dead. It just seems thicker when it’s short. When you shave a hair, a once fine point becomes a blunt end, which feels thicker to the touch.”

Aren’t much for the book learnin’ Cletus? Well, calm down, fella. There are 50-plus pages detailing every style of facial hair you can think of, with pictures.

The weird shit that hipster was rocking on his facial canvas when you were in line at the post office the other day? Yeah, there’s a name for that. It’s called the “Garibaldi Beard.” From the “Freddie Mercury” to the “The French Fork,” there are images of each, alongside descriptions of how to achieve the look.

The book also addresses the social stigma associated with facial hair and what is socially acceptable in a classic Q&A format. For example, “Both my dad and my dentist now have goatees. Should I shave mine off?”

“The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving Face” is the perfect gift for the man in your life, or your mother-in-law who rocks a grey-haired goatee and is seemingly oblivious to it, though it makes everyone else around her so uncomfortable, they can’t even stand to look at her.

To order the book, click here. To write Dr. Peterkin a “Lust Letter,” check out his site here.

Books, Grooming, Humor, Lifestyle

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